GE Supplying Waukesha Gas Engines to Power South Texas Cryogenic Natural Gas Liquids Processing Plant


• Howard Energy Installing Waukesha 275GL+ Units at its Reveille Cryogenic Processing Facility

• Engines Will Drive Compression Equipment to Optimize NGL Plant Production

• Reveille Plant Adds Processing Capacity to Help Meet Gas Processing Demands



SAN ANTONIO -- GE (NYSE: GE) today announced it is supplying three of its ecomagination qualified Waukesha 16-V 275GL+ gas engines to Howard Midstream Energy Partners, LLC (Howard Energy) to drive compression equipment at its new Reveille cryogenic natural gas processing plant in Webb County, north of Laredo, Texas.



The new cryogenic facility will be capable of processing up to 200 million cubic feet of gas per day (MMcf/d) and serve primarily producer and midstream business customers operating in the Eagle Ford, Olmos and Escondido gas fields in South Texas.



Cryogenic processing plants separate different constituents in natural gas, allowing producers to maximize returns by selling individual liquid compounds (NGLs). The facility helps address a shortage of cryogenic processing capacity needed to keep pace with the abundance of rich natural gas produced in the Eagle Ford shale and other traditional gas regions that cover much of South Texas.



Construction of the Reveille gas plant began in April 2013, with startup of the facility scheduled for January 2014. The plant and associated pipelines will tie into the Cuervo Creek gathering pipeline that Howard Energy bought in March 2012. The plant will handle multiple rich natural gas formations including the Eagle Ford, Olmos and Escondido plays, helping Howard Energy boost its capacity to gather, process and deliver natural gas to customers in the United States and Mexico.



“We selected GE’s innovative Waukesha technology as an alternative to what we have used in the past. This technology meets all the requirements of the Reveille Plant, which are the right combination of power, fuel flexibility and reduced emissions,” said Howard Energy Chairman and CEO Mike Howard.



GE expects to ship the Waukesha gas engines from its Waukesha, Wis., gas engines factory in July and August 2013.



“Howard Energy needed a compressor driver solution that offers more power, efficiency and lower emissions. The 275GL+ gas engines can operate on various fuel qualities without the loss of power to maintain optimal production levels at the new Reveille cryogenic plant,” said Brian White, president, Waukesha gas engines - GE Power Water. “We are pleased to demonstrate the multiple benefits that our 275GL+ gas engine technology offers for high horsepower cryogenic processing plant applications to help meet the growing demand for shale gas processing capacity.”



In collaboration with Waukesha Pearce Industries, Inc. (WPI), an authorized distributor of GE’s Waukesha gas engines, GE will provide a comprehensive life-cycle service and parts package for the 275GL+ units. WPI has nearly a century of experience in the natural gas industry and a strong presence in the Eagle Ford shale play. AG Equipment Co., a leader in the global compressor packaging industry, is the Waukesha engine packager.



GE’s Waukesha gas engines are a key part of GE’s distributed power portfolio. GE’s distributed power solutions give customers of all types - including industrial businesses, developing communities, government agencies managing disaster relief and other emergency power situations - the ability to generate reliable, sustainable power when and where it is needed. GE’s distributed power portfolio also includes GE’s aeroderivative gas turbines, Jenbacher gas engines and Clean Cycle waste heat recovery solutions.



Ecomagination is GE’s commitment to provide innovative solutions that maximize resources, drive efficiencies and make the world work better.



The Howard Energy project is the latest example of how GE’s gas engine technology is being used to support the oil and gas industry’s increased deployment of more efficient, cleaner on-site power and water solutions that promote the development of North America’s shale and other unconventional resources.



Unconventional gas is quickly becoming the most abundant source of natural gas in the U.S. and now accounts for about a quarter of U.S. natural gas production. By 2035, half of U.S. natural gas will come from unconventional sources, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The boom in unconventional gas, up from just 2 percent of the total in 2000, has cut gas prices to record levels, reduced energy imports and set the country on a path to energy independence. It also is a major force driving the job market.



The gas engines are a key part of GE’s unconventional resources portfolio that is addressing fundamental industry challenges by helping customers improve their operational performance and reduce their environmental footprints. GE’s unconventional resources solutions, consisting of more than 40 technologies from across the GE portfolio, are addressing fundamental industry challenges, helping customers to improve operational performance, reduce their environmental footprint, increase resource recovery and drive demand for natural gas.



About Howard Energy Partners

San Antonio-based Howard Midstream Energy Partners, LLC dba Howard Energy Partners is an independent midstream energy company, owning and operating approximately 500 miles of natural gas pipelines, natural gas liquids processing plants, amine treating plants and other related facilities in South Texas primarily serving the Olmos, Escondido and Eagle Ford resource plays. The company has offices in Houston, San Antonio, Three Rivers and Asherton, Texas. For more information on Howard Energy Partners, please visit www.howardenergypartners.com.



About Waukesha-Pearce Industries

Since 1924, WPI has partnered with world-class manufacturers to provide equipment and service solutions across a multitude of applications. With highly skilled technicians in 30 states, WPI effectively addresses and resolves runtime challenges, striving to surpass customer needs through maximized uptime. Texas-based WPI and Canada-based Gas Drive International are exclusive North American distributors of GE’s Waukesha gas engines, with strategically located operations that enhance the ability to offer customers timely and efficient support.



About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.



About GE Power Water

GE Power Water provides customers with a broad array of power generation, energy delivery and water process technologies to solve their challenges locally. Power & Water works in all areas of the energy industry including renewable resources such as wind and solar, biogas and alternative fuels; and coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy. The business also develops advanced technologies to help solve the world’s most complex challenges related to water availability and quality. Power & Water’s six business units include Distributed Power, Nuclear Energy, Power Generation Services, Renewable Energy, Thermal Products and Water & Process Technologies. Headquartered in Schenectady, N.Y., Power & Water is GE’s largest industrial business.



Media contacts:



GE news

Masto Public Relations

Email: information@mastopr.com



Martina Streiter

43 676 8944 2470

GE Gas Engines

Phone: +43 5244 600 2470

Email: martina.streiter@ge.com



Gina DeRossi

Masto Public Relations

Phone: +1 518 786 6488

Email: Gina.derossi@mastopr.com



Howard Masto

Masto Public Relations

Phone: + 1 518 786 6488

Email: howard.masto@ge.com

All Topics